Discover your love and money score this Valentine's Day, Pt. 2

A heavyset man and a fit woman in a bikini meet on a tropical beach. A cruise ship is visible in the background.

Is your love and money score a sweet message or sour grapes? (Photo Credit: CC BY/Artur/Wikipedia)

This concludes your Valentine’s Day money quiz. CLICK HERE for part one.

Communication is key

As with anything else in a lasting relationship, communication is vital. When you and yours last talked money, how did it go?

Ideas were exchanged

Silent moments were prominent

Food was flung

While food fighting may be a normal part of your love and money relationship, I tend to settle for a free exchange of ideas. It tastes great and won’t attract ants after you pass out in the ambrosia afterglow.

[There's no afterglow with short term loans for bad credit - just results.]

Student loans and joint credit ratings

When two become one in matrimony, credit ratings merge. When your or your partner have student loans on the ledger, it pays to know the status of the loans. How much do you know?

You know the status of anything that could affect your credit rating, individually or jointly

Poopsie went to college?

You’re not sure — but that’s poopsie’s problem, n’est-ce pas?

It pays to know the answer to this one if you’re planning a financial future together.

Sexist, or a non issue?

A relationship is a partnership, yet it doesn’t mean that one person won’t be responsible for certain duties at which they excel, while the mate handles other areas of expertise. With that in mind, answers one and two for the following question come as almost sexist.

A man who generally defers to his wife’s judgment on financial matters:

Should be called Nancy

Is probably a ”New Age” type

Nothing to ”admit” here: You make no judgment on this

Strong couples make mutual decisions but are also confident enough to give each other the leeway of healthy independence.

What’s in a budget? Wait, what’s a budget?

Budgets are:

A yoke and a joke. No one can really hold to them — that’s why they’re a prime cause of marital guilt and fights

Vitally important — you can’t imagine how couples manage without a reasonably formalized game plan

Fine for some folks, but often not worth the time and energy consumed in working them out, reviewing them, yada yada yada

No yoke, no joke and no yada yada: budgets are essential financial tools for individuals or couples. Being flexible is important, as in a “bend but don’t break” strategy. Yet a budget should not be neglected in your endeavors of love and money.

Spending and saving your powers

One of the best money tips for couples is to quickly learn how to balance your saving and spending habits. It’s inevitable that you won’t be on exactly the same page, but that doesn’t mean a healthy middle ground is impossible to find. The Bankrate Valentine’s Day money quiz poses these three options for how your spending versus savings conversation with your beloved could go:

That you can continue to agree to disagree on the small stuff — but keep an overall commonality

That your spouse sees the light

That your spouse sees a divorce judgment in your favor

Once again, a reasoned middle ground seems obvious in choice number one. If you try to steamroll your lover into following your spending habits, you’ll have a pancake rather than a partner. Compromise is a part of the loving spirit that all healthy couples manage to cultivate.

The results (your mileage may vary)

Out of a possible 30 points on the Bankrate Valentine’s Day money quiz, I scored 27. Assuming I currently had a spouse or committed significant other, Bankrate says that we’d be “made about (not at) each other” over love and money. My marriage would be “a model of modern, mellow maturity,” wise enough to recognize that perfection is impossible (and would be boring, if it were achievable).

My love and money profile agrees that I have the skills to work through whatever love and money situation comes my way. It is also quite accurate that I will deal with a situation, rather than allowing silence to speak for me.

When it comes to love, marriage and finance, there’s a lesson to be learned. Never assume the love and money train will take care of itself. Take an active role in planning your finances. You owe it to yourself and the one you love. Happy Valentine’s Day – and don’t forget to try the Bankrate quiz via the link below to discover your love and money score!